Duty Roster. 24 November 2018

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1 , 24 November 2018 Duty Roster Saturday 24 November, Yarra Glen Tony Curulli (R), Ken Saxton (TC), Walter Savini (TC), Dale Walton, Pat Ruys, Glenn Newnham, Brad Thexton, Rob Amos, Brendan Wain Saturday 1 December, Casey Fields Colin Mortley (R), Perry Peters, Laurie Gates If rostered for duty, you must be there at least 1 hour prior to start time. If unable to do your duty, it s your responsibility to find a replacement, then advise Andrew Buchanan, tiptop2@optusnet.com.au. Last Saturday we returned to Dunlop Road for some proper summer racing. A stiff wind made for testing conditions, but breakaways stayed away in A and B Grades even so. Results and race reports are inside. Tuesday evening s Croydon Cycleworks Summer Twilight Crit at METEC was cancelled ahead of a doozy of a storm. Not so, racing at the Loop on Wednesday the weather cleared, Dean Niclasen and others cleared the worst of the previous day s debris from the track, and Bob s your uncle. Results are inside. A welcome visitor at the Loop was Nigel Kimber, who was there with his camera (see below). This Saturday we are at Yarra Glen for graded scratch races with a bit of additional topography. All grades will start from 2 pm, and the registration desk, on Glenview Road opposite the cemetery, will close at 1.45 pm. You can enter beforehand via TeamApp and keep the handicapper happy. As always, be sure to remember your (fully charged) tail light. Club racing was not all that happened last week. Upwards of 60 members and partners attended a terrific Awards Night on Saturday at Maroondah Sports Club, where Matthew Keenan entertained us with tales of his journey from school wagger to commentator at the Tour de France, including a couple of crackers about working with Robbie McEwen. Matt also presented awards to the Champion of Champions winners for 2018 and a number of others, including Club Member of the Year, Peter Gray. Some of those present doubled up the next morning on the second monthly club ride with Croydon Cycleworks, while others travelled to Lake Learmonth on Sunday for the VCV State Road Race Championships. Editor: Nick Tapp nick.tapp@detail-ed.com.au

2 Graded scratch races, Dunlop Road, 17 November Grade 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th A Grade (21) Steve Ross Alex Randall Rob Amos Perry Peters Chris Hughson B Grade (15) David Richards Garry Wishart Peter Webb C Grade (20) Franc Tomsic Ken Saxton Chris Joy Peter Ransome Tony Curulli D Grade (11) Peter Gray Greg Harvey Neil Cartledge E Grade (9) Michael Muscat Barry Rodgers Ron Stranks A Grade By Rob Amos Twenty-one starters in A Grade (including two B Graders back for more), making it the biggest bunch of the day. As soon as the neutral lap was over, Phil Smith had the bunch strung out as the pace was wound up to fast race pace. This was maintained for a few laps until Phil decided to roll back from the front. At this point Dean Niclasen decided to put in the first attack of the day, and as I was sitting behind him I thought I would join in, as did Steve Ross sitting behind me. The three of us rolled turns and quickly gained a good lead. Unfortunately, we soon lost Dean, who said after the race that he could not match our corner speed after his fall at METEC. The wind was blowing across the circuit at 45 degrees, making it hard going in every direction. Luckily, Alex Randall had decided to try and bridge across the gap, which he managed to do, and after regaining his breath rolled turns with us. I was waiting for Phil Smith and J-P Leclercq to also bridge across, but with so many good sprinters looking for a free ride across, and our team mates Lawrence and Chris from Bike Gear Now frustrating their efforts, they never came. With about 15 minutes to go, the bunch were chipping away at our lead by about 5 seconds a lap. Steve was starting to tire, so Alex and I put in longer turns as we needed three riders to survive. On the hour mark the gap was too close for comfort, so on the bell I buried myself down the back straight, knowing how quickly the bunch could go if someone went early. When I rolled off, it looked like we had the race, and Steve unleashed his super sprint to easily take the win from Alex and me. Perry Peters took out the bunch sprint from Chris Hughson. Average speed 40.8 km/h. Steve, Rob (partly obscured) and Alex hard at work in the break. Photo: Peter Gray

3 The fast-finishing Perry Peters (left) closes in on Chris Hughson on the line in A Grade. Photo: Peter Gray B Grade By David Richards We arrived at Dunlop Road with beautiful conditions for racing ahead of us. Another run in B Grade today without any expectations. Having spent the best part of 12 months out of racing, a return to racing last week at the Loop and METEC had me feeling a little flat and heavy in the legs. I decided to bring down a great bike for racing to test it out. After the usual warm-up and a little bit of banter at the start line, we were under way and rolling out for our neutral lap. After rolling the first lap (or two) Garry Wishart decided to test out the bunch by shooting off the front. Yeah, I thought, a little early, especially based on Garry telling me he hadn t done anything of intensity and was coming off glandular fever, but this could be interesting. I looked around at the others and the signals I got were not that they were prepared to go yet, so I jumped across to Garry. After I joined him, we lifted the tempo and worked on building a sizeable lead. Without knowing what was going on back in the bunch, we pushed on each lap. Generally I d take the finish straight into the wind. Garry would take the lead up the rise on Dunlop Road, then across the back straight I d take over and bring us back to the finish straight. A few variations but that was the general gist of it. We were getting time checks at several points around the course and our gap was gradually growing. Just had to keep working our backsides off and we would likely stay away. With a lap or two to go, we caught sight of the back of B Grade. Garry said he was pretty cooked and couldn t (and wouldn t) sprint. I m not sure I could have mustered much of a sprint really, after pushing for nearly an hour. We entered the finish straight and I kept the pace high and led Garry across the line. Garry got a very well deserved 2nd and, finishing out the podium, Webby sprinted to take 3rd place ahead of Chris Ellenby. Looking forward to a promotion on the horizon.

4 Thanks to all the Traffic Controllers, marshals and referee for a good day s racing. A/B Grade By John Williams In a small break with tradition, the impartial referee offers race reports for the upper grades. A Grade A big field, and as usual a fast tempo, but soon after the neutral lap, an upstart who 15 months and 30 kilos ago was a D Grader decided to attack off the front drinks man, Deano. Only Rob Amos and Steve Ross were able, or felt it was worthwhile, to get across. On the very next corner they dropped Dean, who was a little apprehensive after a big fall and an evening in A&E on Tuesday. Working hard together, and with a bit of blocking and team tactics going on behind, Rob and Steve were increasing their lead by seconds per lap, and the prospect of anyone bridging looked remote. How much does this Ref know? A superb lap saw Alex Randall first of all break out of a big pack, and then power relentlessly down the finish straight into the breeze to take 30 seconds out of the leaders. After a short recovery, he started to add to their fire power. Not much changed. The front three kept a consistent pace on, while the chasing pack saw surges and breaks followed by truces that guaranteed the leaders maintained a 90-second plus advantage. Rob tried to influence the Ref by miming the ringing of the bell at around 55 minutes, but the Ref was unmoved, and no money was exchanged. They were tired boys, but they held on easily. Rob led them out, Steve powered over them to win, while Alex settled for second. B Grade Following the format of A Grade, but an hour earlier, B Grade also had a team race dominated by an early and sustained break. The difference being that the Croydon Cycleworks team had a handful of riders and the other eight teams were individuals. Garry Wishart made an early jump, and Dave Richards was the only one to respond and get across. The two worked hard lap after lap and increased their lead, while Webby, Walter and a few others in Croydon jerseys seemed to be leading the non-chase. Craig Oliver worked harder than anyone to try to get a chase going. I had earlier wound him up about his work ethic, and he well and truly proved me wrong chapeau, Craig! With a few laps top go, and the first two places safe, a second break saw Chris Ellenby, Bruce Will (looking trim and fit after a year or so away) and Webby fight it our for the lightest envelope, in which Webby prevailed, making it a Croydon trifecta. Congratulations, Croydon! Non-Croydon B Graders need to team up if we re going to offer them the competition that will test them. Thanks to all marshals and helpers. The Ref was pleased to avoid the administrative tedium of incident reports! D Grade By Peter Gray The fast and the furious You ve gotta love Dunlop Road as a racing venue, don t you? Judging by the turnout last Saturday, it seems many Eastern members do. While not particularly picturesque, this industrial road circuit boasts a flat, fast and sometimes furious race course. Splitting the grades into two seperate races further enhances the event by providing two opportunities to race, or race one and watch the other. D Grade rolled off the start for the first session, with Colin Mortley leading the pack for the first few laps. He then decided to up the ante with an increase in pace, not just once but several times during the race.

5 Greg Harvey took over in order to sustain the pace for a few laps, followed by Veronica Vandenbroeck for a few more. At one point, Greg, Chris Norbury and myself led again by one of Colin s furious attacks (which I heard coming from a mile away) split the bunch for half a lap or so, but good ol Neil (Diesel) Cartledge draged the others back up. Basically, the race consisted of a series of 2 3 lap surges followed by one of recovery. Our speed must have been fairly high, because it was a good half hour before B Grade overtook. (outside of the neutral lap). My plan was to anticipate and neutralise any attacks before they became breakaways. That seemed to work. It was tiresome but suited my predisposition nicely. Greg and Colin kept control of the pace, with their bunch-battering surges and the occasional assistance of Veronica. Max Michelson gave it a shot up front, and I don t recall much else until Chris managed to find himself on the front with a couple of laps to go and me on his wheel. I do recall someone (I think it was Colin) shouting, Come on, speed things up! I don t think Chris needed a reminder to ignore the hecklers. It became evident, once we were given the bell, that the finish would come down to a sprint. I think it was Veronica who led us out for the first 300 metres into McDonalds Lane, with Chris, Greg and me following closely. The bunch was pretty tight on the downwind portion of McD s, the pace high but no sprinters willing to jump the gun too early given the long run home into that headwind. It wasn t until Geddes Street that the pace increased significantly, stretching the bunch into single file. This is the kind of finish aproach I m most happy with. Third wheel and following arguably the strongest rider in the grade. Now it was down to the business end of the race. Shortly after the left-hand bend into the finish straight, Greg (still pushing a big gear) rose from the saddle to begin his assault on the lead. Motivated by the the relatively large number of spectators at the finish and knowing that going too early could be disastrous, I waited patiently on his wheel until the finish was in sight. Then it was all hands on deck. The head asked, Ready? The bike signalled, Set. And the legs replied, Go! I guess Greg was expecting a challenge. I could feel him apply some additional horsepower to his wheels as my front wheel began to draw level with his mid-line. I wasn t gaining any further until I changed up a gear, normally a risky manoeuvre while under full power. The electronic change was seamless and allowed me to gain a couple of metres, just enough to cross the line in 1st place, only a wheel ahead of Greg, and with Neil probably not far behind in 3rd. A change of clothing, a well-earned drink, and settle back to watch an exciting A Grade race. Despite regular intrusions of vehicles onto the circuit, our traffic management crew did a great job. Many thanks to officals and marshals and a special mention to Max Michelson, who filled the shoes of our regular venue co-ordinator, Andrew Buchanan.

6 Wednesday criterium at the Loop, Yarra Boulevard, 21 November Division 1st 2nd 3rd Division 1a (8) Stephen Lane (N) Russell Newnham Troy Jordan (N) Division 1b (10) Grant Farr Ray Russo David Rooke (N) Division 2 (8) Tony Curulli Russell Wheelhouse Rod Moore Division 3 (9) Neil Cartledge Shane Dwyer Ken Allan Division 4 (3) Laurie Bohn Barry Rodgers John Eddy Clockwise from top left: Fraser Short (left) could not hold Stephen Lane s wheel in what became the break of the day in Division 1a; Tony Curulli meant business in the sprint in Division 2; and Grant Farr (right) was too good in Division 1b. Photos: Nigel Kimber

7 Just another sunny Wednesday at the Loop. Photos: Nigel Kimber

8 News etc. Awards Night I think everyone who attended the Eastern Cycling Club Awards Night would agree it was a very enjoyable night, thanks mostly to fastidious planning by our committee, in particular President Adam Dymond, Vicepresident Emma Smith and Social Co-ordinators Mark and Helen Edwards. Club Member of the Year 2018 If not entirely surprised (a good sprinter must always be alert to secret race plans) my master was delighted, humbled and a little overwhelmed that he should be chosen for this award. So much so that he felt his acceptance speech didn t really do justice to this honour. Although he thinks he s a greyhound, he is really only a human being. What he would have liked to express was his appreciation to the members of Eastern for making the experience an enjoyable one over the past four years. There is a tiny piece of everyone in that tear-drop shaped trophy. (How appropriate that it is shaped like that!) His vision for the future is that all members consider that the club belongs to them and is therefore a reflection of their own values, triumphs or disappointments. If you love what you re doing, it makes a lot easier the decision of getting out of bed in the middle of winter, braving the cold, wet and wind to go racing, and maybe take me walking. (All three, and you ve got a throat infection, well, fair enough.) We ll all benefit by what you put in. So let s all get on with the job of making Eastern the best club to cycle with. Paws and all, Peter Gray Maya Now that you re back, can we go to the park like you promised?!

9 Old club kit With a new-look kit on the way, the committee has agreed to sell the last stock of old Eastern CC kit for cost less 20%. See below for prices and availability. If you are interested in picking up a soon-to-be-vintage bargain, please David McCormack at davemacq@bigpond.com. Short Sleeve Jersey $35 Knicks (BnB) $40 "S" "M" "L" "XL" "S" "M" "L" "XL" "XXL" Long Sleeve Jersey $35 Knicks (BnB, old design) $25 "S" "M" "L" "XL" "S" "M" "L" "XL" "XXL" Wind Vest $35 Knicks (old design) $10 "S" "M" "L" "XL" "S" "M" "L" "XL" "XXL" Miscellaneous $10 Cycling Caps Dress Caps Socks sizes The Christmas present that keeps on giving Still thinking about what to get for loved ones or family for Christmas? More importantly for some, what to get yourself for Christmas? Look no further. The Williams twins (Susie the Secretary and Johnnie B. Goode) have teamed up to solve all your gift problems, and help cure cancer while you re at it. The monstrously successful blog A Barely Functioning Cycloholic, documenting John s shambolic amble around Europe by bike, has now been released as a superb coffee table book 270 pages (A4 landscape) of yarns and photos in full colour and is available now for just $55. From each purchase, $15 goes straight to the Tour de Cure fund. Susan is aiming to reach $12,000 for her Sydney to Geelong ride, and every bit helps. And, in case anyone is wondering, the other $40 will not cover the printing/binding costs and GST.

10 Orders will be fulfilled by 18 December (or earlier on request). To sample the content before buying, go to To order, go to or call/text John on Those who were fortunate enough to score a complimentary copy should not feel left out. You can go direct to Susan s Tour de Cure site ( and make a contribution. Below the Belt Pedalthon This fundraising event for research into urogenital cancers is on again, on 17 March 2019, at Sandown Racecourse. You may remember that three teams with members from Eastern Vets took part in the 2018 Pedalthon earlier this year. Neil Cartledge s team raised the third-highest amount of money and finished 4th in the three-hour event. Watch this space for more news or go to National Road Champs, Sunday 6 January 2019: Ride from Ballan to Buningyong For the last five years a small group of Vets have met up at Ballan Station (70 minutes drive from Camberwell) to ride 35 km to the Nationals at Buningyong, and then make the return trip after the events have concluded. This has proved to be a fantastic ride, and provides the following benefits: No parking problems plenty of space at Ballan Station, just a few minutes off the Western Freeway Get to see the Nationals and get your own ride in (just under 70 km return) Leisurely start no need to be up at sparrow s. Leave Melbourne around 7.15 am for an 8.30 depart from Ballan. That will get us to Buningyong in time for breakfast near the finish line before the halfway mark of the women s race. We then watch the entire men s race on the hill and the big screen Safe, low-traffic ride through attractive undulating countryside. If you are interested, let me know at John.Williams@jhw.com.au or Social notes John Williams Buninyong tent, National Road Champs 2019 More on Buninyong as we get a bit closer (and see above re: riding from Ballan Station with John Williams et al.) Col Mortley has kindly offered to set up again with a bit of help with the transport. Thanks to all. Future events Mark & Helen Edwards markedwardsmac@gmail.com Eastern CC events Please refer to page 1 of this newsletter, or go to Note: Graded scratch race entries are accepted on the day up until 15 minutes before the advertised race start time. Handicap entries close the Tuesday or Wednesday before the race, as advertised. Riders who

11 enter a handicap must pay the entry fee regardless of whether they participate. Fees are due on race day; entrants will not be allowed to start in any ECC race until fees have been paid. No late entries will be accepted for either scratch races or handicaps. Entries to handicaps can be submitted to the handicapper via or TeamApp, or on any race day before the event. Northern CC events For details, go to Please note that Northern has a new start time of 10 am for road races. Start time for criterium races at National Boulevard remains unchanged at 9 am. VCV events Scroll down to see a flyer for details of the Geelong and Surf Coast Women s Handicap (supported by men s scratch races) on 2 December. CAMS 2019, Adelaide, January 2019 You are welcomed as an interstate rider to this important AVCC/SAMCA event. What s new? A Sprint, Hill Climb and KOM on Willunga Hill (just like TDU) You can enter five events: Criterium, Sprint, Road Race, Time Trial and Hill Climb Aggregate Mens/Womens trophy with 2nd and 3rd being recognised Here s what we are offering Saturday 12 January: Graded Criteriums at Victoria Park Crit Track followed by Sprints, both using Mylaps timing ($5 hire covers both events) Sunday 13 January: Graded Road Race at McLaren Flat with KOM on Willunga Hill just like TDU using Orion timing ($5 hire) Monday 14 January: Individual Time Trial at McLaren Flat using Orion timing ($5 hire) Thursday 17 January: 6 km Hill Climb along Old Mt Barker Bike Track using Mylaps timing ($5 hire) We have deliberately kept the transponder hire as low as possible. The events are being run as close to the city as possible and finished in time for you to get to the TDU. Road Race and Time Trial are in the McLaren Vale premium wine district in beautiful countryside. Photos of you racing and on the podium, with results, will be posted on the website that day. We are asking our riders if they would be willing to host a fellow cyclist from interstate. If you are interested, please contact me: rfreak@bigpond.com. The usual attractive prize money, recognising more riders in bigger fields; giveaways; incentives for being there at presentations. We look forward to having some of the best Masters/Vets cycling in Australia. You have to experience the fantastic hype around the TDU to believe it! Nominations for CAMS events are now live on the SAMCA website: Robert Freak CAMS Race Director, on behalf of the CAMS committee

12 Sponsors

13 WOMEN'S HANDICAP RACE SUNDAY 2ND OF DECEMBER AM GSCC CLUB ROOMS, HENDY MAIN AND GRASSDALE ROAD MEN'S SCRATCH RACES 9:30AM TROPHIES PRIZE MONEY 51.6 KM AFTER RACE BBQ ONLINE ENTRY ONLY: $20 FOR WOMEN'S RACE MALE SCRATCH RACES: GSCC AT NO LATER THAN 30th NOVEMBER 6PM: $15